One major element of the construction industry is handling and installing RCP (reinforced concrete pipe) below grade (ground level) in a trench. Prior art that could be found near to this invention (FIG. 9) consists of a process involving a short cable, sometimes called a choker (24), of sufficient strength and design, attached to an excavator bucket""s pad-eye (28) by means of a shackle (26). This choker (24) is then fed down through a hole (34), about three inches in diameter, which is cast in the wall of the RCP (18). To the cable""s free end, now inside the pipe, a steel cup (30) is affixed to the cable end (32) to permit lifting of RCP. Once pipe is in position (FIG. 9), cable (36) and winch (38) are used to complete meshing the ends of the RCP (18). After process is finished and all parts for handling RCP are removed and set aside, excavator can then resume trenching or other jobs.
This process takes several pieces of equipment, three to four-workers (depending on job specifics), and about thirty minutes to secure one eight-foot joint of RCP in the trench. Another important consideration is the part that a winch and cable play in the final installation process of the RCP. Certainly this adds more time, labor, and safety concerns to a job, many of which can be eliminated with the use of this invention.
Quite possibly a fork lift could be considered some aspect of prior art, but our invention functions above and beyond the limitations of a fork lift in its ability to work below grade. Fork lifting devices have been used for some time, but this invention uses a unique attachment design particular to an excavator bucket, which allows for use above, at, and below grade.
Backhoes and other similar excavator machines that employ excavating buckets have been fitted with mechanical attachments. One example of a type of prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,408 issued to Townsend in 1996, which is also named an excavator bucket attachment. This device mounts in an entirely different manner and accomplishes totally different tasks than our invention. It is a thumb-like apparatus, which exhibits claw-like, clamping ability. Our research uncovered several other examples of devices which attach to excavator buckets, none of which are similar in design or function to our invention.
In accordance with the present invention, the construction equipment device, titled an excavator bucket attachment, is comprised of a set of two specially designed hooking members, referred to as hook arms, and a set of two specially designed support members, referred to as forks, both of which are welded in specific locations to opposite sides of a plate (FIG. 3).
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of this invention are:
(a) to provide a method for handling RCP (reinforced concrete pipe) or other construction materials above, at, and below grade
(b) to provide a more cost-effective method for handling RCP
(c) to reduce time and manpower involved in handling RCP
(d) to provide a safer means of handling RCP
(e) to provide a method for handling RCP with less machinery thereby producing positive environmental impacts (less emissions, less fuel consumption, etc.)
Further objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from the drawing and ensuing description.